Türkiye is working to resolve a hostage extremity between Russia and Ukraine to downsize pressures between the two countries, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said.
“We’re now working to resolve the hostage extremity. We’re taking way and we’ve reached a certain point. On the other hand, we took the way regarding the grain corridor,” Erdogan said in an interview with US television show PBS NewsHour vented on Monday.
Following a two- day visit to Uzbekistan, Erdogan is presently in New York City to attend the 77th session of the UN General Assembly and is holding addresses on the sidelines with heads of state and government.
“I had expansive meetings with(Russian President Vladimir) Putin in Uzbekistan. I realised that they’re actually trying to finish this as soon as possible. This situation is a big problem.
“At this point, for illustration, an agreement has been reached on the exchange of 200 hostages. This is a good development. Because with these hostages, a veritably important step has been taken there. presently, officers are managing its specialized dimension. With this, we will have achieved a good development,” Erdogan said.
Erdogan stressed that he has told both Putin and his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy that “there is no winner in a war that ends in the deaths of people”.
The chairman said that Türkiye has followed a balanced policy between Russia and Ukraine since the conflict started in February and favours harkening to both sides.
“That is why we’ve a patient desire to bring these leaders together. Let’s bring them together. I want to hear everything from them. We have not succeeded yet, but I am not without stop gap,” he added.
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Grain corridor and F- 16 issue
Speaking about the grain corridor, Erdogan reiterated his want for grain exports from Russia to start soon, saying “My only desire is to insure the payload of products to underdeveloped or poor countries, not developed countries.”
Responding to a question on bilateral relations with the US, Erdogan said “I can not say it’s at an ideal point.”
He said the bilateral trade volume between the two countries has not reached the asked position, which was determined during US President Donald Trump’s term in office as $100 billion.
“In other words, the Türkiye- US trade volume shouldn’t be $20, $25, $ 30 billion. We’ve to exceed these. either, we aren’t at the asked position in the defence assiduity,” Erdogan added.
Regarding the F-16 fighter spurts issue between the two countries, Erdogan said the US is doing” wrong” to a friendly country by taking a political decision against Türkiye.
Ankara requested the F-16s and modernisation accoutrements last October. The $6 billion deal would include the trade of 40 F-16 spurts and modernisation accoutrements for 79 warplanes that the Turkish Air Force has in its force.
In July, still, the US House of Representatives approved legislation creating a new chain for the trade.
It prohibits the trade unless President Joe Biden certifies that the transfer is in US public interests and guarantees to Congress that in the 120 days prior to the transfer the Turkish government has not “violated the sovereignty of Greece, including through territorial overflights.”
Türkiye, for its part, has made it clear that Greece- related conditions aren’t “binding” and expressed stop gap that the US would not fall for similar “ games.”
Erdogan also criticised the US for giving all kinds of support to Greece for F- 16 spurts but not supporting Türkiye in this regard.
“In this case, Türkiye’s job is to take care of itself. else, we do not have a problem with America,” he added.
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‘Neither East nor West’
On Türkiye’s possible class in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO), Erdogan said “I’ve to say this veritably easily We’re part of the world; neither East nor West.”
After attending this time’s SCO peak in Uzbekistan as a dialogue mate, Türkiye might take a farther step at the 2023 peak in India, he said, adding Ankara “targets” class.
Established in 2001, the eight- member organisation aims to strengthen friendly, good neighbourly relations and collective trust among member countries.
“Unfortunately, the EU has not made us a member for 52 times. There’s no other country in the EU that’s in our situation. They still keep stalling the process. still, we’re a NATO country. Indeed though we’re a NATO country, indeed NATO countries keep us busy in the EU process,” he added.
Erdogan said the EU can not question Türkiye about who it’s meeting with, adding “While we’re holding these addresses, we won’t be responsible to the EU on this point.I negotiate with all countries because we’re all part of this world.”
Türkiye applied for EU class in 1987 and has been a seeker country since 1999. Accommodations for full class started in October 2005 but have stalled in recent times due to political hurdles erected by some countries.
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Source: AA
